Freight Invoice Audit Worksheet
Freight invoices contain errors more often than most teams expect: wrong rate tier, reclassed freight, unapproved accessorials or a fuel surcharge that does not match the contract. This worksheet recomputes the expected charge from your contract inputs and shows the variance for each invoice.
| PRO / invoice | Carrier | Ship date | Billed weight (lb) | Contract rate per cwt | Contract fuel % (%) | Allowed accessorials | Amount billed | Expected charge | Variance (billed minus expected) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$528 | -$5 | |||||||||
$274 | $39 | |||||||||
$823 | $19 | |||||||||
$213 | $0 |
Variance greater than zero means the carrier billed more than your contract produces. Investigate each positive variance against the bill of lading, reweigh records and the contract before disputing. Rates per cwt are per 100 pounds.
Match freight bills to ERP receipts
Optional: a short review of how carrier invoices could be matched to shipments in your ERP automatically.
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How to use this worksheet
Enter one row per carrier invoice. Fill in the billed weight, the contract rate per hundredweight, the fuel surcharge percentage in your agreement, any accessorial charges you expect and the amount the carrier billed. The worksheet calculates the expected charge and the variance. Positive variances are potential overcharges. Add notes in a separate column of your own if you export to Excel, and use the totals to see whether the problem is isolated or systemic.
The expected charge formula
For LTL and similar weight-based freight, the base charge is billed weight divided by 100, multiplied by the rate per hundredweight. Fuel surcharge is applied as a percentage of that base. Allowed accessorials are added. Real tariffs also have minimum charges, discounts off a base tariff and weight breaks, so use the effective rate for the weight bracket on the shipment. If your contract uses a flat rate per shipment, put the flat amount in as the rate with weight set to 100.
Investigating a variance
A variance by itself does not prove an error. Check the common causes before disputing.
- Weight differences: reweigh or inspection charges, or a rounding rule
- Freight class or NMFC changes made by the carrier after inspection
- Accessorials such as liftgate, limited access or detention that actually occurred
- Fuel surcharge table updated for the week of shipment
- Duplicate billing for the same PRO number
Common mistakes
Audits fail when the inputs are weak or the follow-up is slow.
- Auditing without the current signed rate agreement
- Missing dispute windows in the carrier terms
- Paying first and never tracking recoveries
- Treating small variances as noise when they repeat on every invoice
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a freight invoice audit?
A check that each carrier invoice matches the agreed rate, the actual shipment details and the allowed accessorials before payment. It catches duplicate bills, wrong rates and unauthorized charges.
How do I calculate expected LTL charges?
Divide weight by 100, multiply by the contract rate per hundredweight, apply the fuel surcharge percentage and add any valid accessorials. Then apply any minimum charge in your tariff if the result is lower.
How long do I have to dispute an overcharge?
It varies by carrier terms and jurisdiction. Many contracts set a window of months from invoice or payment. Dispute promptly and read the dispute clause in your rate agreement.
Is a third-party audit service better?
For large freight spend, a freight audit and payment provider may recover more and save staff time. For modest volumes, a worksheet like this is enough to spot patterns and support disputes.
If freight invoices are matched to purchase orders and receipts in your ERP, we can help automate the contract-rate comparison.
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